APPLE GROWING 



the soil after every heavy or moderately heavy 

 rain. Use the smoothing tools after light to 

 medium rains and the heavier tools after pack- 

 ing or beating rains. In practice from five to 

 eight or ten of these cultivations are necessary. 

 The drier the season the more necessary does 

 frequent cultivation become. 



A Cover Crop is so closely associated with 

 tillage that it is usually considered a part of the 

 system. It should be sown in midsummer as 

 soon as tillage ceases. This time will vary from 

 July first to August fifteenth, depending on the 

 locality, the rainfall, the crop of fruit on the 

 trees, and on how favorable the conditions for 

 securing a good stand of the cover crop are. 

 The farther south the locality, or the earlier 

 the fruit, the sooner the crop should be sown. 

 Absence of sufficient rainfall necessitates a con- 

 tinuation of the cultivation, both because it is 

 necessary to conserve all the moisture possible 

 and because it is difficult to get a good stand of 

 a cover crop — especially of one having small 

 seeds — at a dry time in midsummer. 



In a year when there is a full crop of fruit 

 on the trees cultivation should be continued as 

 late as possible as all the stimulus that can thus 

 be secured will be necessary to help the fruit 



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